Unit-5

Bestsellers into Films Vikas Swarup’s translation of

Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire
Contents
• 1- Best seller definition

• 2-Detailed explanation and classification of best-selling books

• 3-The process of creating a best-selling book

• 4-About Vikas Swaroop:

• 5-About Danny Boyle:

• 6-Slum Dog Millenia Novel: Review

• 7-Book Summary

• 8-Further critical review

• 9-Character analysis

• 10-Chapters’ Analysis

• 11- Analysis of the theme

• 12-Important issues the book talks with

• 13-Moral of the book

14-Summary
1- Best seller definition

• A book or other kind of media that is recognised for having the highest number of
copies sold is referred to as a bestseller. Bestseller lists may be found in
newspapers, periodicals, and book shop chains.

• On some lists, the items are subdivided according to categories and specialisations
(novel, nonfiction book, cookbook, etc.). If an author's work is often included in a
list of best-sellers, the author may also be alluded to as a bestseller.

• Publisher Weekly, USA Today, The New York Times, and The Washington Post are
the four newspapers in the United States that are responsible for publishing well-
known bestseller lists.

• The majority of these lists monitor book sales from large online retailers such as
Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble, in addition to sales from traditional brick-and-
2-Detailed explanation and classification of best-selling books

• The genres of fiction and non-fiction that make up bestsellers are often kept
distinct.

• Several distinct list compilers each came up with their own unique set of
subcategories.

• It was said that the New York Times launched the "Children's Novels" section in
2001 solely for the purpose of displacing the Harry Potter books from the No. 1, 2,
and 3 spots on their fiction list, which the then three-book series had dominated for
more than a year.
• There is a possibility that bestsellers will be rated differently according on whether
they are published in hardcover or paperback.
3-The process of creating a best-selling book

• However, there is a separate process that decides which books have the capacity to
attain that position.
• In the end, having a large number of purchasers generates a bestseller; however,
there is a process that determines which books have the ability to achieve that
status.
• As seen by the continued existence of tiny presses, not all publishers are dependent
on or try to produce best-selling works.
• On the other hand, huge publishing companies are comparable to major record
labels and film studios in that they need constant high profits to be able to sustain
their massive overhead costs.
• As a result, a lot is riding on the outcome. It is estimated that 200,000 brand new
novels are released annually in the United States, yet only a small fraction of those
works go on to become top sellers.
4-About Vikas Swaroop

• Vikas Swarup is an Indian diplomat who has since resigned and a writer. He was
born on June 22, 1961.

• He previously worked as the High Commissioner of India in Canada and as the

official spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs of India before taking
early retirement from the Indian Foreign Service on June 30, 2021.

• His last position was that of Secretary (West) at the Ministry of External Affairs of
India. He is most known as the author of the book Q & A, which was later made
into the film Slumdog Millionaire.

• This movie went on to win the award for Best Film at the Academy Awards, the
Golden Globe Awards, and the BAFTA Awards for the year 2009.
5-About Danny Boyle

• Daniel Francis Boyle is an English filmmaker and producer. He was born on the
20th of October in 1956. Films such as Shallow Grave, Trainspotting and its
sequel T2 Trainspotting, The Beach, 28 Days Later, Sunshine, Slumdog
Millionaire, 127 Hours, Steve Jobs, and Yesterday all include his work. He is
noted for his contributions to these and other films.

• Shallow Grave, Boyle's first feature film, was honoured with the BAFTA Award
for Best British Film. According to the British Film Institute, Trainspotting is the
tenth best British film that was produced throughout the 20th century.
• Boyle's film Slumdog Millionaire, which was released in 2008, was the most
successful British film of the previous decade. It was nominated for 10 Academy
Awards and ended up winning eight of them, including the award for Best
Director.
6-Slum Dog Millenia Novel: Review

• This is Vikas Swarup's first novel, and it tells the narrative of Ram Mohammed
Thomas, an orphan from the slums of Bombay who is 19 years old.

• The book was first released as q & a. At the beginning of the book, he is both

• a) a millionaire, having won the reward of one billion rupees on a game show,
and

• b) in prison, having been charged with fraud by the creators of the game show.
You learn on page seven that the producers of the programme do not have the
financial means to pay him, which is the reason why he is now detained there.
• Swarup tells the almost Dickensian story in the first person, over the course of a
single night, in 12 chapters.
7-Book Summary

• The novel "Slumdog Billionaire," written by the Indian novelist and diplomat
Vikas Swarup, recounts the rise from poverty to wealth of a young Indian man
who becomes a millionaire after competing in and winning an Indian adaptation
of the game show "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?“
• Swarup published the novel in 2005 under the title Q&A to reflect the game
show that changes the poor boy's life, but the story is far more well-known by the
title of the movie that was adapted from the novel, Slumdog Millionaire (2008),
which was an unexpected box office hit and major winner at the Oscars. Since
2008, Q&A has been often marketed and sold as Slumdog Millionaire, despite the
fact that there are several significant storyline and character variations between
the book and the film.
• Compassion, tenacity, bravery in the face of insurmountable difficulties, and
understanding what it is to be really intelligent are some of the topics that are
explored in this book.
8-Further critical review

• Vikas Swarup ‘written book "Slumdog Millionaire," published in 2008 have so

many characters in it. Because so many people had shown such a strong interest in
the book, it was eventually turned into a movie.

• In his work, Swarup recounts the exploits of Ram Mohammad Thomas, a waiter
from one of the largest slums in Asia who grew up without a parent and had no
formal education.
• When police arrived, they discovered Ram buried behind a mound of garments that
had been given to the Delhi church in Mumbai. He was taken in and reared by the
priest, who was ultimately responsible for his death.
• A quiz show consisting of twelve questions awards Ram one billion rupees if he
can correctly answer all of them. In the end, he ends up getting arrested and
transported to prison on charges that he cheated during the show.
9-Character analysis:

• The primary character, Ram Mohammad Thomas, is the one who relates his life
narrative to the attorney who has come to the police station in the hopes of
assisting him.

• He is over over heels in love with Nita and has a strong faith in fate. He is in
possession of a "lucky" coin, which he uses to determine the outcome of significant
choices; however, both sides of the coin are engraved with the word "heads." In
general, he has a perspective on life that is somewhat negative and grounded in
reality.

• Because it is uncertain which faith his parents practised, his name represents all
three major world religions. He is an orphan like Salim.
Cont..

• Salim Ilyasi is Ram's closest buddy and he has aspirations of

making it big in the Bollywood film industry.
• The fact that a fortuneteller had foretold, when he was
younger, that he would become more renowned than his
Bollywood hero inspired him to pursue his goals.
• He is two years younger than Ram and has a great, melodic
voice in addition to being quite beautiful. He is also a big
believer in predetermined outcomes.
• In a nutshell, his persona is described as being on the
immature side when contrasted to that of Ram Mohammed
Thomas.
10-Chapters’ Analysis

• The sum of money that he wins when he correctly answers a question on a game
show provides the inspiration for the chapter headings in this book.

• The tale begins with the nighttime abduction of Ram Mohammed Thomas by the
authorities, which serves as the prologue.

• Apparently, this is something that happens often to people who live in slums, and
he has been petrified of it for years due to the fact that, during the course of his life,
he has taken the lives of others and committed crimes in order to survive.
Cont..
• The cops beat him severely and interrogate him over the game show
"Who Wants to Win a Billion?" in which he was a contestant.

• The police are trying to get Ram to admit that he cheated in order to
argue that he does not deserve the prize that he won on the quiz show
before the producers had enough money to actually award a first-
prize winner.

• Ram won the show before the producers had enough money to
actually award a first-prize winner.
11- Analysis of the theme

• Abuse, both physical and sexual, is shown to be one of the novel's central themes. In
particular, those who are vulnerable to it are mothers and children. For instance,
Father John is known to sexually assault young boys, and the family next door to
Ram is subjected to regular abuse at the hands of the drunken father.

• The fact that society appears to condone the abuse is the aspect of this situation that
disturbs Ram the most. For instance, when he tries to report the violent behaviour of
his neighbour to the building manager, Mr. Ramakrishna, he is told that it is a private
matter and that he is not supposed to interfere: "I know the daily stories of wife-
beating and abuse as well as incest and rape, which take place in chawls all over
Mumbai.
Cont..
• Chawls are a place where these things happen. Despite this, nobody
takes any action. We Indians have this extraordinary capacity to see
the suffering and calamity that is all around us without being
impacted by it in any way.

• Therefore, in the manner of a true Mumbaikar, shut your eyes, close

your ears, and close your mouth, and you will achieve the same
level of contentment that I have achieved. Now please go, since it is
time for me to sleep.
12-Important issues the book talks with

• Dharavi is a suburb of Mumbai and is one of the biggest slums in the world. More
than 1 million people reside there on an area around 175 hectares. Mumbai is an
affluent city with its major Bollywood movie industry but its citizens attempt to
overlook the difficulties in the slums lying next to them. In the book Ram thinks
after his arrest:
• “There are many who would argue that I brought this upon myself. By dabbling in
that quiz show. They will point a finger at me and remind me of what the elders of
Dharavi say about never crossing the dividing line that divides the affluent from
the poor.”
• And he also emphasises that no one worries about whether someone is detained or
disappears since people have to struggle for their own survival. In reality the folks
living there are unlawful and the cots erected there are as well. That is the cause for
having no running-water and far to few sanitary systems.
13-Moral of the book

• 1. There are times when you just have to take a chance.

• 2. It is not always relevant to explain how you came to know something.
• 3. There are going to be those who think you are incapable of achieving your
goal.
• 4. When deciding what to believe, follow your gut impulses.
• 5. There's a chance that long-term aspirations may be derailed. You are required
to proceed in any case.
14-Summary

 A book or other kind of media that is recognised for having the highest number of copies sold is
referred to as a bestseller. Bestseller lists may be found in newspapers, periodicals, and book
shop chains. On some lists, the items are subdivided according to categories and specialisations.
 However, the phenomenon of books becoming instantly popular can be traced all the way back to
the early days of mass production of printed books, which is when the term "best seller" was first
known to have been recorded in print.
 The genres of fiction and non-fiction that make up bestsellers are often kept distinct. Several
distinct list compilers each came up with their own unique set of subcategories.
 However, there is a separate process that decides which books have the capacity to attain that
position. In the end, having a large number of purchasers generates a bestseller; however, there is
a process that determines which books have the ability to achieve that status.
Cont..
 Vikas Swarup is an Indian diplomat who has since resigned and a writer. He was born on June 22, 1961. He previously
worked as the High Commissioner of India in Canada and as the official spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs
of India before taking early retirement from the Indian Foreign Service on June 30, 2021.
 Daniel Francis Boyle is an English filmmaker and producer. He was born on the 20th of October in 1956.
 Swarup tells the almost Dickensian story in the first person, over the course of a single night, in 12 chapters. Each chapter
is a short story in its own right, dealing out interesting vignettes of the protagonist's fractured life and the many people
who helped shape his world view. The story unfolds as a lawyer comes to the young orphan's aid. Swarup tells the almost
Dickensian tale in the first person. It serves its purpose well as a story device.
 The realism of Vikas Swarup's work is achieved by the employment of a variety of artistic approaches. The way that he
organises his work is also in a manner that reveals reality in a way that is extremely straightforward and uncomplicated.
 The events of the novel revolve on Ram Mohammed's involvement in a game show, and he ultimately provides the
authorities with a variety of explanations for how he learned the answers to the questions. Many of Ram's tales, which
always centre on some kind of exciting adventure, include the cruelty and violence that are inextricably linked to living in
poverty.
Thank You